So.. You think you want a Swissy?

Often prospective buyers who visit will comment that they want a Swissy "just like" <one of> mine. They meet dogs that are well behaved as a result of years of socialization and trainingProspective owners need to k﻿eep in mind that historically Swissies were bred for many tasks including that of guard dog. The original FCI standard describes the temperament as "Self-confident, alert, watchful and fearless in everyday situations. Good-natured and devoted towards people familiar to him. Self-assured with strangers. Medium temperament."For this reason, socializing my puppies and educating new owners about the importance of socialization, are the priority. Swissies are wonderful dogs but they are a lot of WORK. They require constant socialization especially in the first 2 years of their life and they must be given consistent leadership and reminded of their boundaries. Swissies can be pushy and in some cases pushy behavior can lead to unwanted dominance which is often misinterpreted as aggression.

Dominance is the number one reason Swissies end up in Rescue. So many of the dogs labeled as "dominant" or "aggressive" are dogs who are merely confused about their place in the pack as a result of inconsistent training and lack of proper leadership. It is crucial to understand this if you are looking into adding a Swissy to your family. Familiarizing yourself and family members with the concept of Nothing In Life Is Free, will be of great help when socializing and training a Swissy. Those attracted to the GSMD tend to be active individuals or families who spend a lot of time outdoors and are looking for a dog with which they can share said lifestyle. Ideal Swissy owners have done their homework on the breed and understand the importance of being patient and getting their dog from a reputable breeder.Ideal Swissy owners have flexible schedules which allow them ample time to socialize and train a GSMD. Ideal Swissy owners understand the importance of leadership and know how to be assertive owners.

Unfortunately, many people end up with a Swissy puppy because they acted on impulse or were misinformed about the breed. There are many commercial and back yard breeders out there who will tell you what you want to hear and place a puppy with little if any screening. Such Sellers are the same ones who will disappear the minute you have a problem or even a question about your puppy. Such Sellers are the same ones who won't answer the phone when you need their support. Such Sellers are the same ones who refuse to take your puppy back when you realize you have taken on something you cannot manage.

Swissies are large powerful working dogs who must be socialized and trained in order to be agreeable family and community members. If you have an over scheduled, busy life, are away from home for most of the day, or are constantly juggling the schedules of your children, please consider that you may not have the time to properly socialize and train a Swissy. Keep in mind that private trainers can help but only if YOU, the owner, are also involved in the training! Your Swissy must learn to respect you and this will not happen if he is just sent off to a trainer .Many Swissies end up in homes who want the "Ideal family dog" . Please remember no dog is born "ideal". It is up to the owner to take the time , patience and love to create the ideal environment in which a puppy can thrive. Too many people get dogs for the wrong reasons and give them up because they cannot manage them. Please educate yourself about the breed, consider all the costs involved and meet as many swissies as possible before committing to a puppy.

Is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Right For You? by Karen Conant (long time Swissy owner & former GSMDCA President)

﻿﻿You've probably heard all of the great attributes of these striking, loyal companions but please consider the following FACTS when deciding whether the GSMD is the right breed for you.

Properly raising a swissy takes time. Do your job and lifestyle allow for the commitment to properly raise and train a working dog? Read on and then determine whether or ﻿not a Swissy matches your lifestyle.

Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are a large breed and require space. They also require moderate activity and regular exercise. A true working breed, the Swissy is most content when he has a job or a purpose. Swissies are NOT lazy, lay-around-the-house dogs.

Swissies are most content in the company of their families. They are not well suited to kenneling and confinement away from the activities of the household. Though capable of withstanding the elements, the Swissy's nature is best suited to being a family member and house companion.

Swissies are alert and vigilant. This means they will bark at neighbors, guests and just about anything going on in the neighborhood! They have a natural protective instinct to guard home and family.

Most Swissies like the company of children but NO dog should be left unattended with young children. Due to the Swissy's robust size and active nature, they can easily topple children unintentionally.

Swissies have several major health problems to consider. In addition to the common orthopedic ailments of large breeds, such as OCD and hip dysplasia, the GSMD is afflicted by a very serious condition known as Gastric Dilation Volvulus, or 'bloat". This is a life-threatening medical emergency that is all too common in our breed. Epilepsy is another very serious health concern. All of these conditions can be costly to treat and manage.

Swissies are strong dogs! They are powerful in physical strength and strong-wlled and can often be a challenge to leash train. Swissies love to pull. Keep in mind that children (and for that matter, many adults!) may have a difficult time walking a Swissy throughout the neighborhood.

Because many Swissies have a well developed prey drive, they require a fenced yard for safe containment. A neighbor's cat or unsuspecting squirrel can become the target of chase.

﻿﻿Swissy temperaments vary but are overall quite complex due to their working dog nature and development. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are NOT a good choice for inexperienced or first time dog owners. In the hands of an experienced owner, the S﻿wissy can be a wonderful family companion with proper training.

﻿Great﻿er Swiss Mountain Dogs were originally bred as draft and guard dogs. Like many working breeds, the Swissy has a tendency for dominant temperaments and behaviors. In addition, Swissies tend to be "social climbers". Practicing effective pack leadership is necessary to prevent dominant behaviors from becoming problematic. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs must learn their place in the family social heirarchy. This takes time, effort and a good dose of patience.

GSMDs require diligent socialization at an early age. This means meeting as many new peop﻿le, and being introduced to many new situations. Socializing a Swissy is a commitment not to be taken lightly. Some GSMDs may exhibit dog aggression, particularly intra-sex aggression in intact animals.

Swissies are sl﻿ow maturing both mentally and physically. Because of orthopedic concerns related to large breed dogs, great care must be taken to prevent injury during growth stages. Despite their sturdy build, the breed is, in effect, quite fragile during these growth periods. The Swissy is not a breed that can sustain unlimited exercise or activities such as jogging, at a young age.

Swissies shed!!! A common misperception is that the short coat of the GSMD sheds very little. Nothing could be further from the truth! The Swissy has a thick undercoat which sheds continually throughout the year and requires regular grooming.

If you are interested﻿ in breeding, you﻿ should know that the GSMD is prone to whelping difficulties and often require caesarian sections. They are not easy to breed!

Finally, Swissies need TRAINING! Prepare to devote the time and energy to ensure your dog has all of the "tools" it needs to become a good citizen.

If you have determined that this breed best matches your lifestyle and would ike to get additional information, please contact Swissy owners, meet the breed in person and do your research. Please see "Questions to Ask Breeders" - a great tool for educating potential buyers..﻿﻿﻿

TEN REASONS PEOPLE GIVE UP THEIR DOGSRead this list and then read it again! Consider what you would do in each situation.

Moving﻿What if you move, what will become of your dog? ﻿Landlord issuesDid you check with your landlord, association or property manager to make sure your agreement allows you to have a dog? Is there a weight limit on the dogs allowed in your building? Health and maintenance costsHave you considered the cost of food each week, regular veterinary care, training and socialization? How about a dog sitter, walker or boarding facility should you need them? What will happen if your dog is sick or injured? Veterinary bills for emergencies or serious medical situations can be in the thousands. How will you handle this? Will you purchase insurance for your pet?

Not enough time A dog needs your attention EVERY SINGLE DAY. Are you prepared to spend time training your dog? Are you prepared to regularly socialize your dog? Will you offer some exercise every day? Dogs are creatures of habit; they do best on regular feeding and exercise schedules. Can you commit?Inadequate facilitiesIs your home adequate for this size/type of dog? Where will your dog spend the day, sleep at night, where will you put a crate? Do you have a fenced yard? If not, are you prepared to walk this dog several times each day, rain or shine, blizzard or 105 degrees?

Too many pets alreadyMany well intentioned people take on more than they can handle. If you adopt another pet will all the animals in your house receive the necessary attention, care and financial commitment they deserve?

Personal problemsLife happens! Divorce, job loss, injury, foreclosure, what will happen to your dog? You should ALWAYS be able to call your breeder for assistance with your dog. They can suggest temporary (short term) solutions or help with re-homing the dog should your situation require.

The kidsKids take up time and so do dogs. Do you have enough time and attention to go around? What about when school is out or soccer practice and dance class and basketball season starts? Both the children and the dog need training. Rules, respect and boundaries go a long way. Do you have time to teach them?

BabiesMany organizations/shelters list “new baby” in their top three reasons families give up their pets. Babies require what seems like 24/7 time and attention and the dog will not sit quietly in the corner and wait for that baby to grow up. If you have a baby or plan to bring a baby/babies into your home in the future, can you manage the demands?

Behavior problems Are you prepared to train your dog? Are you prepared to socialize your dog? It’s IMPORTANT and it’s your RESPONSIBILITY! A well trained, well socialized dog can be a great companion and joy to live with. A dog with no manners, and little or no socialization is, often difficult and well, just plain WRONG. Be the leader, invest the time in training your dog and show it the world outside your four walls and you can be rewarded with happy and appropriate companion for years to come.

What do you really know about your breeder?

There are more people out there than ever before, calling themselves "breeders". Some are reputable but many are not. Before you send a deposit to some "breeder" whose website or Facebook page pictures "available" Swissy puppies, please do your homework. Make no assumptions.Avoid online classified sites such as puppyfind.com as such sites are typically used by big commercial kennels (who prefer to call themselves "show kennels"), puppy mills and backyard breeders. Reputable breeders do not need online classified sites to place their puppies. Be aware that some of the "Sellers" found at online classified sites who use terms such as "home raised" or "champion bloodlines' to describe their puppies, may very well be Amish puppy mills who plagiarize wording from reputable breeder websites to mislead buyers about their own practices.This is why it is important to visit any breeder from whom you are considering getting a puppy. It is crucial that you see for yourself how that breeder's dogs live and how their puppies are raised. Unfortunately there is a lot of misleading information on breeder websites. A breeder claiming to have "puppies occasionally" may very well be a large volume breeder whose dogs spend most of their time in a kennel. Their definition of "occasionally" may be very different from yours! This is why it is important to ask specific questions and demand specific answers. Many breeders do not want to publicly disclose how much they are breeding. Therefore you will be unable to find even the most basic information (sire, dam, health clearance info, etc) on past or current litters on their websites. Instead they will ask that interested parties contact them privately for such information.A true hobby breeder is one whose livelihood does not depend on selling puppies. A true hobby breeder typically has only a few dogs all of which live as family members in the breeder's home. A true hobby breeder typically breeds only a couple of litters a year but is active in conformation showing and other breed related activities. True hobby breeders support their dogs. Their dogs do not support them.

Be sure to ask about and VERIFY important information on the sire and dam of any litter you are considering. Breeders should provide all such information (registered names of all dogs, pedigrees and health clearance links) on their website but the reality is many do not. So, in order to make an educated decision, you as the prospective owner should ask the ages of the sire and dam and be sure to verify the health clearances of the sire and dam as well . If a dog has health clearances you will find them on the website for the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) www.offa.org You will need the registered name or number of the dog in order to search for clearances. OFA does not issue permanent clearances for dogs under the age of 24 months. However, some breeders have preliminary evaluations done on their dogs and follow up with permanent clearances once the dog turns two years old.Dogs under the age of two years should not be bred.If a breeder claims to have bred a dog "on prelims", first ask the age of the dog at time of breeding, then ask to see the paperwork if the results cannot be found on the OFA website. Also note the age of the dog when the prelims were done. According to OFA, "NORMAL" hips are those with a Fair, Good or Excellent rating and are the only ones that will be issued a clearance number. Said clearances should be published on the OFA website. The GSMDCA Breeder Guidelines USED to recommend that breeders do not breed dogs under two years of age. The GSMDCA also USED to recommend that stud dogs be limited to a maximum of three litters in their first two years of breeding ("year" meaning any 12 month period, not a calendar year). The reason for this is that such limitations allow for any genetic issues or predispositions to come to light before the dog has sired too many litters. Unfortunately the GSMDCA Guidelines have been recently "revised". Sadly, said guidelines are now a meaningless page of "recommendations" which are not enforceable. Therefore, NEVER assume because a breeder is a member of a Club (or even holds a high position on a Clubs Board) or is listed in the Club's Breeder Classifieds, that therefore they adhere to the guidelines. This couldn't be further from the truth as unfortunately there is NO enforcement of these Guidlelines. I have been a GSMDCA Member for over twenty years and was an Officer on the Board for over a decade. Yet, I would not want this to impress anyone to the point where they felt they didnt need to research my practices as much as they would any other breeder. I encourage prospective owners to ask me a lot of questions It is those who don't feel comfortable questioning me about whom I will have doubts.Also, please keep in mind that just because a dog has done a lot of winning, does not mean that dog is healthy or will produce puppies with the same traits. Winning in the show ring is NOT a reason to breed any dog!Unfortunately, it is all too common for top winning dogs to be overbred because so many breeders put winning ahead of everything else when in fact winning is not a genetic trait. Many top winning dogs turn out to be terrible producers, unable to improve on themselves through their progeny. In addition, top winning dogs are just as prone to health problems as any other dog and are just as likely to produce serious health problems as well. Care should be taken by all breeders to be selective when breeding and to not over breed dogs merely because they have a lot of ribbons on the wall. As a prospective owner, you should learn the breed standard, look at historical photos and photos of dogs in the country of origin (Switzerland) and other European countries, to get a good idea of correct breed type. If you want a "small" or medium sized dog or a dog with a lot of white markings, then you should be looking at another breed. Good breeders will not be intentionally breeding undersized or overmarked dogs just to satisfy a demand for incorrectly marked dogs or dogs that are more the size of a Labrador.Beware of breeder "pyramid schemes" which require you to breed your dog and/or owe puppies back to the breeder. Reputable breeders will not require you to breed your dog. A careful , reputable breeder will in fact discourage you from getting involved in breeding unless you show a true commitment to the breed and show

The most important role of your breeder is to be your LIFE LINE.You should be able to count on your breeder for support for the LIFETIME of your dog. A reputable breeder will have a clause in their contract which REQUIRES that if for ANY REASON you need to give up your dog, the dog goes back to them. A reputable breeder will microchip all puppies before they go to their new homes and will place ALL companion puppies on spay/neuter contracts. It is in your best interest to be patient , do your homework and get your puppy from a reputable HOBBY breeder. Please take all of this under consideration. Dont rush into getting a puppy. Do your homework and be sure the GSMD is the breed with which you wish to share the next ten years of your life or hopefully longer...!

﻿The July <2001 AKC Gazette> discussed the history of the GSMD as it relates to the functions for which it was bred: driving cattle, protecting farms, pulling wa﻿gons and remaining a loyal family companion. Farmers bred for versatility, looking for intelligence, strength, vigilance, determination and an instinct to safeguard p﻿roperty.

Considering the relatively small gene pool associated with our breed, how to all of these qualities affect the GSMDs temperament? Temperament can be defined as a dog's suitability for a specific task or function. As such, there are no good or bad temperaments, simply suitable and unsuitable temperaments. Therefore, if a Swissy, as described by our current AKC Standard, is supposed to be bold, faithful, a willing worker, alert and vigilant, then it follows that a Swissy is predisposed to perform certain tasks requiring fearlessness and an ability to stand its ground in a variety of everyday situations.

A breed with these inherent personality traits is suitable for some companion homes but not for others. An assertive or self-confident Swissy has a strong sense of self and its abilities. He can make an excellent pet when he is under control, but this type of temperament can lead to behavior problems if the dog is :a) in a home with an owner who does not see himself as the pack leader and b) not properly trained

The July <2001 AKC Gazette> stated, "Sadly, with an increase in the popularity of our breed, we are realizing an increase in incidents described as aggression on the part of the dogs. Debate continues as to whether the described aggression is a result of temperament or behavior management."The answer lies in a combination of both when a Swissy is placed in a home or situation unsuitable for its personality. Blame need not be placed on the dog, nor should it be placed solely on the owner or breeder.

Instead of finger pointing, energy should be directed to the education of the buying public about the nature of our breed. Let's face it. Not every home is appropriate for raising a Swissy. For those that are, it is essential to begin obedience, basic control, and socialization as soon as the Swissy becomes a new addtion to his family.

Occurrences of aggression are few compared with the numbers of well adjusted and well behaved Swissies living in communities across the country. As is usually the case, it is the tragic episodes that garner the most attention. Disturbing as these are, there is one and only one positive aspect to them: they serve to sound an alarm. As a Swissy has historically safeguarded the welfare of its family, it is now our responsibility to return the favor by increasing our vigilance over the breed, ensuring puppies are placed in suitable homes. ﻿

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